many people ask if i film inspiration wednesday offsite at donna downey STUDIOS
no i never have, i have always filmed from my home studio space.
i like the quiet. i am more creative at home and i can get more done.
it might go without saying to most of you, but it is important to have a space that inspires and encourages you to create either by function or aesthetics.
for 1 year i have been dreaming (ok obsessing) over designing this new home studio space...one that greets me each day with possibility.
my new space is in what should be the "formal dining room" of the new house
you might be thinking..."odd, where do they gather?"
actually the eat in kitchen is so large it fits my dining room table!
that meant the dining room was up for grabs! :)
so that posed 2 potential problems
- it is the first room you see when you enter through the front door, how do we close it off?
- how do we design it to be an artsy but functional space and furnish it to look...presentable
the first one was easy.
pre-construction we added french doors in what would have been an open doorway and a pocket door in the pass through to the kitchen
the second one took me months to decide on
what i knew for sure was i wanted a large work surface, concealed storage and bold pops of color
easy right? my god i deliberated...i more knew what i didnt want than what i did.
i wanted restoration hardware, but not the price tag, lol!
Robby Gunter, a good friend and coach of McKenna's softball team, is a master cabinet maker and custom made this incredible table. i sketched up what i wanted and it is exactly as i dreamed, right down to the custom color stain.
the table is 5' x 8', it is a monster! it stands at counter height because i am a stander and has a row of 3 drawers on each side with a 20" shelf that runs along the bottom for storage
i wanted a table that i could SPREAD out my stuff on while i am working (making a mess) as well as a space that allowed my children to join me for a chat or for play!
next i bought this amazing poppy rug! i mean its perfect, hello!
liz, the shipping manager at my STUDIO gave me a Grandin Road catalog and i fell head over heals for this rug. had to have it. kept me up at night for a week. finally bill told me if i didnt just buy it he would kill me, lol! that set the design in motion.
next on my list, the perfect chair.
my previous space was quite small and i had always wanted a chair to journal, gather my thoughts, think, whatever. i looked for months and finally a good friend said why dont you just get one made?
holy hell, you can get chairs custom made!!!!!
i found Heather Helseth on etsy and based off the photo i sent her of the poppy carpet we came up with this beautiful chair design. i love the fact that this was once an old chair that no one loved anymore and it is now redesigned and brings so much joy!!
this incredible chest of drawers we found by chance at of all places a lighting store...and better yet it was 45% off! however they didn't deliver and they would only hold it for 10 days after purchase (stupid right?). for 6 weeks i waited praying nobody would buy it.
i literally fit almost my entire studio in this piece
wanna see what's in my drawers? watch this all 12 drawers in order
one of the most important purchases in my room is my tabletop cutting mat. i have always used one from this company and they will custom cut your mat to any size you need. i got lucky and they sell a 5'x8' mat
it not only protects my tabletop, but also when i switch from sewing to other projects it is the perfect work surface and is pretty indestructible.
i am still decorating. i want to add bold beautiful colors with meaningful pieces and of course art (literally and figuratively, lol)
this is the first piece of art produced in my new space...i love it!
i love the height of the moldings in this room, but not perfect for hanging all sizes of art, however a 30x30" canvas fits perfectly!
and its new sister
and the last and perhaps the happiest space is my easel in the bank of windows.
(insert one long sigh of pure contentment)
personal creative/artist spaces are something i love to see.
i hope you enjoyed this look into mine as much as much as i loved sharing it.
Amazing! I am going to get to work on my room taking it from choas to the room in my mind!
Feeling inspired!
Posted by: dana | June 08, 2015 at 07:03 AM
Gorgeous and inspiring! Thank you for sharing!
Posted by: Jennifer Cox | June 08, 2015 at 07:10 AM
Who needs a formal dining room... that is also where I create. my eat in kitchen is large enough for the family..LOL.. GREAT space thanks for sharing. It is awesome.. and oh so neat... how do you do that?
Posted by: Tricia Duncan | June 08, 2015 at 07:12 AM
Your new studio is amazing and so very YOU! Where is the stencil cart you made though??? I know, it's hard to clutter it up at first when it's so pretty, fresh and brand new!
Posted by: Carmen Hays | June 08, 2015 at 07:34 AM
Good Golly Ms. Molly Donna! That is the most downright stunning studio that I have ever seen my life! The decor and burst of colour, plus we can't forget the furniture and that eye popping rug makes it a room I would never want to leave (maybe Bill can get your meals catered in there) lol. I really really hope that one day Nancy and I can make our way down there to see first hand what the air feels like in that room, the vibes must be incredible :) You are truly blessed Donna, with talent and everything else in your life :) Big congrats, it's amazing :)
Posted by: Karen Melbourne | June 08, 2015 at 07:49 AM
Love, love, love this. What a unique space, but it is soooo you! Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Linda Crowe | June 08, 2015 at 07:54 AM
pretty and organized, what a great way to start a new creation...Love it!
Posted by: Susan Bohner | June 08, 2015 at 08:33 AM
loved it, Donna. Enjoy!!
Posted by: Colleen Umlah | June 08, 2015 at 08:45 AM
Oh Donna, this is utter perfection!! Well done!
Posted by: Mary Beth Shaw | June 08, 2015 at 08:55 AM
This space is so beautiful and shines with your creativity. What an amazing job and I know you will overflow with joy and imagination in this studio and create even more fabulous art. I count among my blessings getting to follow your journey and to say I know you (and Bill) through your Huntersville studio.
Posted by: Cheryl Midkiff | June 08, 2015 at 09:07 AM
Love your new home and studio ;). I spy a RED campaign desk...from World Market? We are also building and do not close until Aug/Sept and it is so HARD to wait...so until then I will survive by reading and admiring your space ;). In the meantime the garage in our rental home is getting filled up with nixes from ikea and World Market...and many other stores' sales racks ;)
Posted by: con-tain-it | June 08, 2015 at 09:42 AM
What I want to know is how you perfectly composed that first shot with the dog. Is he glued in place? ;)
Posted by: Cat W | June 08, 2015 at 09:59 AM
Gorgeous studio!! I know it will bring you much joy. It makes perfect sense to use the blue print name "dining room" of the space for something wayyyyyy better that will be enjoyed on a daily basis. How often would you use the dining room? A few holidays, maybe a birthday. I purposely omitted the dining room from our house when we built. The work table your friend built is stunning.... be sure to tell him we are all drooling over it! I would like to know where the red "ART" letters came from... so cool!
Posted by: Caroline Duncan | June 08, 2015 at 10:44 AM
Stunningly beautiful Studio….I am inspired to get in to mine and finish getting it all set up! I must have one of those easels too! And I also want to know how you got the dog perfectly composed!! LOL!
Posted by: Laura Rowlett | June 08, 2015 at 11:27 AM
So so amazing!!! So very happy for you!
Posted by: Shawn Petite | June 08, 2015 at 11:29 AM
oh Donna what an amazing space. It shines with your spirit..have fun and thank you for sharing.
Posted by: bettyann | June 08, 2015 at 12:40 PM
wow, just wow!!!! and love all the natural light......it would be awesome to have a room like that!!!! I'm so happy for you!
Posted by: Dee Vowell | June 08, 2015 at 01:17 PM
I would be so afraid to mess it up! So beautiful!
Posted by: Jen | June 08, 2015 at 01:32 PM
Absolutely amazing what a wonderful space you have got love it. I hope you produce some more wonderful paintings. Thank you so much for sharing with us all. ENJOY x
Posted by: Sandra inwards | June 08, 2015 at 02:08 PM
So absolutely sweet of you to open your home to all of us. Thank you for being you! Quick question, do you put drop cloths down when you create , on the floor?
Posted by: Yvonne Garner | June 08, 2015 at 07:26 PM
Gorgeous Donna! Our brand new formal dining room is also my studio and I love it! I feel I have such an elegant place where to create. The only problem is that I am always afraid to ruin the floor and the walls. How do you do to prevent this?
I am also a fan of Erin Fitzhugh Gregory and I have some pieces inspired by her work and of course by your art. Feel free to check my website. I hope you like it.
And thanks for being such an inspiring artist!
Posted by: Gaby Friedman | June 08, 2015 at 10:09 PM
You deserve every inch of your new studio. Amazing space to create in.
Posted by: debbie mcintyre | June 08, 2015 at 10:29 PM
Wow! Your studio is gorgeous and so filled with light. Have a wonderful time making awesome ART. Your gonna need a ton of painter's canvas dropclothes. I have a huge one I use under my easel to protect everything as am a messy painter!
Posted by: Cheryl | June 08, 2015 at 11:42 PM
This is beautiful! I'm curious - how do you keep your easel so clean when you love drippage so much?
Posted by: tracy wallace | June 09, 2015 at 01:13 AM
Absolutely stunning!! Beautiful colors and lines.
Posted by: Jo Ann | June 09, 2015 at 01:18 PM
Your studio is amazing! I am currently in the process of re-organizing and re-arranging my craft room. Lately when I walk in there I get un-inspired because of the clutter. It makes me unable to form a clear thought or let ideas flow. I am trying to make it more "flowy" and freeing. I think you have found a great balance in this studio. It's funny, I read your other blog post about moving and I feel the same way. We bought a house about 4 years ago and I never want to leave it. My Fiance is trying to convince me to get a larger house and totally taunts me with the idea of a larger workspace lol. I would only move for the other "perfect" house that's out there waiting for me. We toy with the idea and go to models, but nothing has really spoken to me yet. Maybe someday. Thank you for sharing your story!
Posted by: Jackie | June 10, 2015 at 02:00 PM